How can I build a Barb?

[HaraldOfAlsius]

I've got my scrolled Dwar Barbarian, named Avrin Windhelm if you're know this name better.
I dont know alot of things about PvP, RvR, Invasion System... so please give me some tips, tricks, tactics and suggestions about "how the hell can I build an AD based Barb or Stuff like That"?
Weapon/armor types
skills/powers
pros/contras
you know... which skill is useful/useless, which weapon type I should go with, etc... etc... etc...

And last but not least:
Please give me an answer! There aren't any Godsmack quotes..., so i was not as annoying as i was (maybe i'm more annoying, i dont know), but please... i want to go wz... or stuff like that...

[The_Pirate]

Hmmm ok here goes:

Re weapons - dual wield or one hand; preference of most players is dual wield and high AS.

Regarding types:
Blunt least popular as no high lvl one hand blunt weapons exist. So you either go for a very slow/slow dual hand blunt, or for a very good low level blunt. Very few very good low level blunts around, so most people don't go for blunt - reason: high dmg, few ppl stock good/very good vs blunt so even more effective that way, can use MS, but too slow.

Pierce is popular mainly due to good speed with rapiers and good damage with spears. If you want to go down the AS route, rapiers are great weapons. Combined with a blunt off hand, you can easily find 2 nice pieces with AS benefits. Main issue is everyone has good/very good resists vs pierce so your dmg will be mitigated to some extent. Popular choice - reason: good dmg, good AS, single/dual wield possible, but least damaging of barb weapons.

Slash is popular mainly due to South Cross... this is a good damage and good AS option. Nuff said.

Armor:
As a barb your armor is basically paper-ish. Without buffs you die very very fast, especially as you are the frontline attacking force and when it comes to time to withdraw any class can slow you and every class will hammer you. So get good armor. The highest possible AP (armor points) and good/very good vs slash and pierce. Re bonuses, mana, AS, const, HC, AP are all very good to have.

Before the update I went down the barb tank route. Had helm and BP with 5% AP bonus, and the rest was WM armor. With the passive resits I could take a lot, a real lot, of dmg, but didn't deal high dmg myself due to points availability dropping my fulmi tree to lvl 4 on any spell max. Nowadays without the passives this is not really worthwhile as a strategy. I take marginally less dmg than other barbs when fully buffed. So go for dmg assist bonuses is my advice, and all Colossus stuff.

Re set up:
http://regnumsentinel.com/t4z

This seems to be the standard set up for most barbs these days. 10 points remaining to stick wherever you want them.

Re gameplay:
Don't rush carelessly. If possible rush with knights who know how to cast auras, and conjus who know how to time a frontline dash to save your sorry ass when CC'd and getting hammered, but also know how to dash back out of the frontline once they do the job quickly. Be aware that you will move faster than knights or conjus in the rush, so might be worth using your precious UM to get you to the enemy, then relying (hoping for) PA and dispels and DI to stop CC from ruining your attack once amongst the enemy.

A barb is all about the rush - a bad rush and you die without doing any damage at all. A good rush can clear away 3 of more acas no problem. Only way to learn how to rush is to shadow a more experienced barb if possible until you learn how to rush. This is very important.

Personally, I prefer to work with a few other barbs even now that I have more experience on barb. 2 barbs rushing with good coordination can really cause a lot of dmg. And with few players practicing teamwork, most zergs don't know how to deal with two coordinated rushing barbs. The catch - finding a good barb with whom you can coordinate and whose play style matches yours. Ooshy - I <3 U!

Most important advice - be VERY nice to conjus. Few ppl are, so being nice makes you stand out and increases your chance of tender loving care from them.

Good luck. Happy dying (plenty of it, both till you learn barb and once you learn barb).

Jarne/Jaro Seeker

[HaraldOfAlsius]

It... feals very... easy... but... i don't know the abbreviations like DI and stuff like that... so please explain them for me theese things.
this guide makes me... so... hopeful... and... i cant change my subclass anymore for free... for example to a knight... but he has not got damage... it isn't fun! Anyway, I heard that a knight can deal alot of damage with a better weapon. Is it true?
And... thx for this guide!

[HaraldOfAlsius]

Originally Posted by The_Pirate

Good luck. Happy dying (plenty of it, both till you learn barb and once you learn barb).

It... feals very... easy... but... i don't know the abbreviations like DI and stuff like that... so please explain them for me theese things.
this guide makes me... so... hopeful... and... i cant change my subclass anymore for free... for example to a knight... but he has not got damage... it isn't fun! Anyway, I heard that a knight can deal alot of damage with a better weapon. Is it true?
And... thx for this guide!

[The_Pirate]

DI-Divine Intervention
PA-Protect Ally
Const-constitution
UM-Unstopppable Madness
AS-Attack Speed
MS-Mind Squasher
CC-Crowd Control
AP-Armor Points
HC-Hit Chance

I only have a lower lvl knight on Ra, used full support. So no idea really about knights and dmg. There are some very good knights out there, best they give advice.

Barb can be fun - everyone is afraid of your rush (and rightly so). But you will die a lot (so does pretty much every class really, barring maybe knights and marx), so teamwork is important. Just experiment and enjoy it, find your own play style.

[HaraldOfAlsius]

Originally Posted by The_Pirate

Just experiment and enjoy it, find your own play style.

Thx, I'll try.

[HaraldOfAlsius]

I can't understand... in your biild... there are zero slashing weapon skills?

[The_Pirate]

You only need the skills for the weapon you stock - mine is a pierce weapon, so the skills are mainly on pierce tree, except for the strength passive on blunt as strength=dmg on barb (1 str=2dmg).

So if you are slash, develop slash tree and blunt up till strength passive skill. If pierce then develop pierce tree and blunt up till strength passive. If you are blunt then develop blunt tree and possibly pierce as 1 extra point gives more str than if invested in the blunt tree strength passive.

[HaraldOfAlsius]

O.K. But they say that every class has got resistance aganst every weapon types... Or not?

[ClariceStarling]

Originally Posted by The_Pirate

Re set up:
http://regnumsentinel.com/t4z

This seems to be the standard set up for most barbs these days. 10 points remaining to stick wherever you want them.

Hi, what you said was pretty accurate, in everything BUT one thing: the set up. You'd go way better with a sword as primary weapon (because of the set up I will give you). Keep the spear to hit those who are running from you.
Just try it
http://regnumsentinel.com/t5k

South Croos and Typhoon are PRIMORDIAL. And some of the skills you have in yours are pretty useless like: Intimidate (4) this one is only use to the player off their mounts, at (1) will be perfect. Although Rend, Heroic Shout and Warmaster Blood are useless.
The set up I gave you is one that is common in RA, give it a try